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WORTHINGTON - Diane Gerdes has been a resident of Worthington her whole life, but as of last month she can also say she’s a Worthington business owner.
Gerdes owned Diane’s Corner Treasures, a consignment store in Sibley, Iowa, for 10 years. She later sold her shop and went to work for her son, Paul, who owned and operated Paul’s Place in Worthington.
Paul sold his business to his mom on Oct. 14, and Gerdes said it feels good to be back.
“I was supposed to retire, but this gives me something to do,” Gerdes said. “I enjoy visiting with people, and getting to know new people and seeing old friends. I’ve always worked in retail, and I like working with people.”
She said she bought the business from her son because she saw how well it had been doing in Worthington.
“People seemed to like it,” Gerdes said. “I didn’t want to see it close. It had been getting better every year as far as sales. It would have been sad to see if Paul had to close out and sell everything.”
Gerdes said she hopes Worthington residents will come and check out her new store, where she sells new and used consignment items.
“I want this to be a friendly store,” she said. “I don’t want people to come in and feel pressured or anything.”
Gerdes’ store features many different items including home decor, toys, glassware, knickknacks and furniture.
“I sell lots of furniture,” Gerdes said. “It’s not like going to Wal-Mart or Shopko; this is stuff you can’t find in those places.”
Diane’s Corner Treasures is located at 203 10th St., Worthington, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
